The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-19
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
A Large Number Of QUESTION: Dali,
Asked by the Commissioners.
A Specimen OF the Many Inquiries
Made.
The Commissioners Have No Power
to Answer them AuthoritativeIy.

WASHINGTON, April 1S.-An application
in writing has been made to the interstate
commerce commission for its answer the fol-
lowing questions propounded ON behalf of
the order of railway conductors:
1-Are railway companies prohibited from
issuing free transportation to the immediate
families of the employees Of their own rail-
ways?
2-Are railway companies prohibited from
issuing free or reduced transportation to
officers of associations composed exclusively
Temporarily out of railroad service, and ex-
clusively employed by those associations?
3-AIay railroad companies issue passes TO
employees of other railroads on application of
employees? Must such application come from
an officer of the company by which he is en-
ployed?
4EMay railway companies issue free or
reduced TRANSFORMATION to those who make
railway service their business, or trade, while
temporarily out of employment and in SEARCH
ef situation.
5-May railway companies provide free
transportation for delegates Co the annual
conventions of an association composed ex-
clusively Of railroad employees upon certif-
Gates from officers of the association that
they are such representatives,
elf free transportation may be furnished
to the representatives described in question,
five must all such representatives be actually
in the employ of the same railway, or may 1t
include those who may be temporarily out of
employment and those temporarily engaged
In other employments as officers OF such
association?
7-f free transportation is provided for
the delegates described in question No. 8,
may it include members Of the Immediate
families of delegates?
are provided for representatives OF any one
association, must the same be extended to
all others which are composed exclusively
of railroad employees on application?
Another application has been made to the
Commission on behalf of the Traders and
Travellers Union, stating the system
under which the additional allowance of
free baggage that has been heretofore car
ried by commercial travellers subject to a
written agreement for registry and indemni-
hcation, which system the Commissioners
are requested to examine carefully and ad-
wise us if there is any reason why a rail
road company desiring to do so, should not
enter into such an arrangement to grant
understated terms on increased allowance of
free baggage.
These two petitions, presented by highly
respectable organizations, and raising ques-
tions of immediate practical Importance are
representative of large number of similar
applications which have been made to the
Commission for its construction of the pro-
visions of the "Act to regulate commerce as
provisions touch customs of port. They
have been selected simply as being indicat-
i've of the character of all, and to enable the
commission to announce certain conclusions
to which it has arrived respecting its juris-
diction and its powers. 1t is obvious from
the tenor of such applications as these,
which reach us by every mail, that the i'm
preston is generally prevalent that this
commission has power to cOnstrue. interpret
and apply the law as preliminary judg-
ment. We are continually appealed
to for decisions in advance, as
to whether common carriers said
to be willing to adopt certain methods of
dealing with respect to interstate commerce
can do so without subjecting themselves
to the penalties provided by the statutes
for violating its provisions. A careful read
ing of the "act to regulate commerce."
under which this commission is organized,
will show to the petitioners and others who
have made similar applications that no juris-
diction has been given us to answer ques-
tions like those under consideration. The
expression of our opinion upon the subjects
at this time, being neither duty imposed
nor power conferred by statute, would
carry with it no judicial efficacy or sanction;
in fact, it would be no more useful to the
public or the carriers than the opinion of
other men upon the same points